Chaos Reigns: New Hero's Rise Redux
by Ravien VaLente Spada
Summary: Forced from his destroyed home, a young boy must face an experience far beyond what he had ever dreamed. Watch as he faces his inner demons and rises to power through love, friendship, and battle. Eventual Diao Chan/OC pairing. NEW Chapter 3 up!
1. It Begins

Well, hello there. Ravien is here with some semi-new fanfiction for your viewing pleasure. This story is a remix of my original Chaos Reigns story that I felt wasn't...refined enough, if I had to put my thoughts into words. I've spent quite a bit of time during my two-week spring break thinking about the story and how it could be improved.

Really delving down into it, I've noticed that several scenes were simply remnants of a somewhat rushed thought process as the story was being typed, and I didn't put a true, honest effort into seriously fleshing them out. Also, I started finding several grammar mistakes that sometimes even detracted from the meaning of what I meant to portray.

Now then, my mistakes may not be as bad as I'm thinking they are, but as a writer(and a bit of a perfectionist), I want to continually improve on what I display to other people out there within the enormous electronic tool we call the Internet. So, I'm going to give my first fanfiction story the attention and dedication it _truly _deserves from me. Hope you enjoy.

Warnings:

Strong OC: My original character will be somewhat powerful. If you've read my previous draft of this story, you'll know why, but if not, then I'll just say that he faces _extenuating _circumstances as his life goes on. But, he won't be _too _powerful...just about on par with most of the main DW cast.

OOC Characters: I've played Dynasty Warriors for years, but actually making a story on it still isn't very easy for me. I apologize in advance for any discrepancies in the major characters' personalities or style.

Canon/OC Pairing: I'll go ahead and say this now, but if you've read my summary, then you'll already know what's up. Diao Chan _will_ be paired with my OC. If you're not cool or neutral with that idea, turn away now.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about this story other than my OC's. *sigh* Although, if I _did _own DW, then I'd be damn happy...

Text Key:

"speech"

_'thought' _

"**enraged or spiritually empowered speech"**

*sound effect*

***loud sound effect***

(author comments)

-{[scene heading and info]}-

_flashbacks & emphasized wording_

_**narration**_

(Let's get it on...)

* * *

_**It was the spring of the year 184 AD, within the land of ancient China.**_

_**During the ruling of the Later Han period, signs of impending rebellion were everywhere. Corruption within the government, run by the Imperial Court, had thrown the land into chaos and caused the common people to suffer greatly. In this time of uncertainty, these people found themselves yearning for change. **_

_**A former Han official, named Zhang Jiao, started and became the leader of a religious sect known as the "Way of Peace", who fanned the flames of rebellion and formed an army to oppose the Han. This uprising would later come to be known as the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the threat of which looming like a dark cloud over the land. Sensing its potential devastation, the Imperial Court raised a call for troops across the land.**_

_**Among those who answered was a man who fought on behalf of the people. **__**His name was Liu Bei, and he was a descendent of Han royalty. **_

"_**Though we may have been born separately, we will die together as one."**_

_**With this oath, taken in the peach garden with his two sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei joined the battle against the Yellow Turbans. For within his heart, there was no greater cause than to ease the plight of the people.**_

_**However, unbeknownst to the three, their first major encounter with these rebels would prove to be more significant than any of them would have ever thought...**_

* * *

-{[Lou Sang Village; outskirts]}-

(play "March of Destruction" from _Dynasty Warriors 7_)

A contingent of the Han Imperial army was marching towards the main camp in order to prepare for the battle against the Yellow Turbans. The soldiers' spirits were high, as they knew that the majority of the Yellow Turban army was made up of simple bandits and common peasants.

They would be no match for a _true _army.

"Hey! Come back!" the soldiers heard, the voice apparently addressed towards them. Turning with annoyance at their _glorious _march being interrupted, they saw two simple-looking peasants rushing towards them, terrified looks on their faces. The two stopped and knelt before them, panting heavily as they had apparently been running for quite some time.

"You have to help us! The-the Yellow Turbans have come! Please, you have to save our village!" one pleaded with them, his face nearly touching the ground as he silently prayed to every god he knew that the purple-clad soldiers would assist them. His partner simply nodded in confirmation, hoping just as fervently as his friend that the soldiers would help.

Unfortunately, all of their heartfelt prayers would go unanswered, at least by these men.

The Imperial soldiers were _appalled_. These feeble and worthless peasants dared to think that they could simply whisk them away from their previous business on a whim? That their pride would allow them to fall for some utterly pitiful begging and near-crying? Even _if_ there was an attack, it was most likely just some common bandits rather than actual Yellow Turbans, and these fools merely wished to waste their valuable time and manpower.

With these thoughts in mind, the lead soldier kicked the one who spoke to the ground. "Know your place!" he yelled with disdain for the _trash _beneath his boot. "We have no time to spend on worthless plebs!" the soldier continued as he and the other troops ran off towards their destination, leaving the two commoners to their peril.

Felling an ominous shift on the wind, the two turned only to see...two of the attackers rushing towards them, blades drawn and poised to strike!

"Help! HELP!" one cried as they could only shield their faces and wait with bated breath for their impending doom...

* * *

-{[within the besieged village]}-

(play "Escape From Hell" from _Dynasty Warriors 7_)

_Fire._

The all-consuming, burning glow of the towering flames was all he could see as he staggered through the ravaged village.

_Pain._

The sensation enveloped the entirety of his being as he ran in short, agonizing bursts as best as his young body could carry him, a harsh head wound and bloody right arm in tow.

_Death._

It was all around him. Although the other happenings within the village and its surrounds were shielded from view by the fires, he could hear the dying screams of the innocent villagers echoing across the landscape; whether their deaths were from the flames or the attackers would remain unknown to him.

_Escape._

It was all he could possibly think of that would help him at this point. It was all he _could _do. Despite the fact that he took to fighting like a fish to water and was moderately proficient in the art, he was far too young and inexperienced to battle against an entire mob of enemies that were out for blood, at least, while alone and with zero chance for support anytime soon.

The thought of battle was moot point anyways, as his potentially debilitating arm and head injuries would render him nearly useless in a fight.

The boy here was only nine years of age, with astonishing cerulean-blue eyes and a normally vibrant silver head of hair that was currently matted down by blood. Despite this, the mane still framed his handsome face rather well, the hair stretching to just below his chin.

He was wearing a simple outfit, being that it consisted of a black v-cut shirt that went down to his waist, where it was intersected by a crimson-red sash that rested just above his identically-colored pants and boots.

The major significant aspect of his clothing was that there was a silver dragon emblazoned on the back of the shirt, its body coiled together so that it would only be on the shirt's back. However, his clothing at this point was tattered and ripped in various places with specks of blood, dirt, and grime shining through the openings.

The boy's face and body, unlike others his age, was relatively lean and thin with very little baby fat left on his still-developing figure, a testament to the training his family had appointed him to after he relayed his desire to one day join a military force.

His face was marred with tears at the dreadful thought of what had forced him to flee his home all alone...

_'Mom...Dad...Sis...' _he thought with an all-encompassing melancholy as he recalled the fates of his family members who were with him at this time.

Never would he see them again...He could only hope that his uncle hadn't returned from his hunting too soon and that he'd found help, however much use it would be at this point.

_Freedom._

The word sprang into his mind as he idly noticed that he had somehow managed to escape the doomed and burning village into the world beyond.

However, what in the world would he do now? He was now orphaned and homeless, with no where in mind to go at this point. _'Well, I guess I'll try and find Uncle...I hope he's okay.' _the boy thought as he began what looked to be a long and arduous trek.

_Danger._

That was the instinctive feeling which suddenly surged forth from within as he saw various bandits coming out of the woodwork around him.

As to be expected, each of them had a weapon in hand, and they were severely unkempt with varying degrees of blood, sweat, and dirt on their bodies. Seeing that he was caught in an ambush, the boy froze as if spontaneously encased in ice, an overwhelming pit of fear settling in his gut and becoming visible in his expression.

"Well, well, well...what do we have here?" one of the bandits spoke with an unsettling smirk on his face. His reviling gaze increased in intensity as the child finally found the strength to back away, only to discover himself surrounded by the attackers.

"Hehe...looks like a little kid survived the purge, huh? Well, we can't have that, can we boys? For the glory of our Great Teacher!" the lead bandit declared, a resounding chorus of approval meeting it as he and the others began to advance forth at an agonizingly slow pace.

At this notion, the child could only look on with sheer _terror _as death impeded upon him in the form of these raving bandits. _'A-Am I really...gonna die here?' _the boy thought, tears returning to his eyes as it appeared that the thought would indeed come to pass.

"Aw, what's wrong, kid? You scared? You gonna cry for mommy and daddy to come save you?" one of the bandits mockingly inquired, the group practically on top of the boy by now. The boy seemed to have no visible outward response to this, tears still flowing from his eyes.

The enemies, taking this lack of response as the boy submerging himself in sadness and fear, merely scoffed and laughed at his misfortune. However, if the bandits paid more attention to him, they would have noticed that he was no longer trembling in fear.

The demise of the boy's parents and younger sister...

The undeserved destruction of his home...

A forced lone exodus from the annihilated village...

Such a traumatic experience would be enough to potentially shatter one's mind and _drown_ it in insanity and despair, especially for a nine year old little boy.

However, for this boy, the effect was different.

What happened within the boy's psyche was not normal. Whether it was out of self-preservation, desperation, a short burst of insanity, or some wild combination of the three, _something _snapped somewhere within his mind...and utterly consumed his rational thought with pure, unbridled _rage_, his body shaking at dangerous levels and a repressed growl beginning to emanate from his throat.

...these bandits would _not _be laughing for long.

Suddenly reaching into his upper clothing, the boy withdrew a previously hidden dagger...and unleashed his fury.

(play "The Most Dangerous Way" from _Dynasty Warriors 6_)

"**RAAAHHHHHH!" **he practically _roared_, catching the bandits off-guard at the sudden attack as he assaulted the nearest enemy, cleaving his neck wide open before any of them could react.

If anyone were able to peer through his visage shadowed by his hair and look at the boy's eyes at this point, they would see that they had astonishingly bled away from their normal brilliant blue...into a bloody _crimson _color...

The bandits were shocked beyond all belief that this little _child _had spontaneously exploded with anger and actually killed the leader of their group seemingly out of the blue...however, their shock quickly turned to anger as they came to realize the ramifications of what had just happened.

"Why you little...! How dare you take out our boss, you little punk!" one of them yelled after the event of the leader's death caught up with him. Attempting to deck the young boy and knock him to the ground, he was surprised to see the boy swiftly duck under the oncoming blow and horrified when the boy rose back up...

...and cut the man's offending hand clean off!

"AAAHHH!" the bandit yelled, holding the stump as his chopped hand fell to the ground with a meaty *thud*. Looking around in a frenzy, he saw that his cohorts were simply staring at him and the already-dead comrade, seemingly frozen in shock and surprise at the fact that a mere boy was doing all this to them.

"Rrrghh...What the hell are you guys just standing there for?! TAKE THIS BASTARD OUT!" the man ordered, enraged that he and his partner were dealt such damage by someone nearly twenty years their junior.

Snapping out of his trance, one bandit went to stab the kid clear through his skull, but the child's newly found foresight allowed him to dodge the sloppy attack by shifting his head to the right, if only just barely avoiding further injury, and he proceeded to grab the still-extended weapon with a surprisingly powerful grip and subsequently yank the weapon from the man's hand, despite the blood that now trailed from the appendage due to him grabbing the blade.

Turning to look at the one who had just tried to kill him, the boy shifted his gaze upwards at the taller individual, the action parting his blood-matted hair and finally allowing his crimson-red eyes to be seen by the bandits, who unconsciously took a step or two back after witnessing his pupil shrink into a blackened slit...much like an animal's...

To further this trend, the boy's face twisted into an animalistic snarl, his growling increasing in intensity as he flipped the sword around in his hand so that he was now grasping the hilt. He apparently disregarded the blood flowing from both his previous injuries and newly-formed hand wound as he gripped the blade and swung it with all his might...

...decisively shearing the man's head clean from his shoulders!

The bandits could only watch with more than a little apprehension and fear as the man's disembodied head fell to the dirt, his beheaded body following a few seconds afterwards.

_'W-Wha...What in hell's name is this kid...?!' _the rogue with one hand thought as the boy returned his attention to him and his remaining allies, the child's enraged state not lessening one bit by the kills he had committed.

"M-Mon...Monster..." a different one whispered, shivering in fear at this..._thing_ they had unleashed somehow.

The 'boy' turned to him, apparently having somehow heard what he had said.

"**Monster...?" **he asked almost to himself, the first time the men had heard him speak since this unbelievable transformation began. His echoing voice sounded damn near _demonic _within the rogues' minds.

The bandits were sure ones to talk though...They burned down his home, massacred the innocent villagers, murdered his family, and then had the nerve to call _him _a monster when he decides to fight back? In self-defense, no less?!

They had brought this upon themselves...the reaper had come for them, in the form of this young boy...

"**Ha...hahahahaha...!" **the boy began to laugh all of a sudden, as if he had just been told some hilarious joke. But, these men could hear the dark undertone hidden beneath his mirth...

...a tone that promised _severe _pain...

"**So, I'm a monster now, am I? Hehe...you have no idea...but, if it's a monster you want..."** the rage-consumed child spoke, raising his sword and dagger in offensive positions as a malicious smirk began to play across his face, one that scared the hell out of the enemies before him.

In their pea-sized rationalities, the bandits knew that they shouldn't even be wary of a kid barely half their size, let alone practically paralyzed with sheer _terror_, but this kid was definitely not normal...

...not that they didn't figure out such already, but this boy was about to make the matter _impeccably _clear...

"**...THEN I'LL GIVE YOU ONE!" **the boy bellowed, murderous intent flooding his voice as he charged at the unprepared rogues.

In the wake of the devastated Lou Sang Village, none would hear the agonized, terrified bandits' screams echo across the landscape…none but three individuals, who would never believe what was happening until they came upon the scene's aftermath...

...a discovery that would forever change their lives and possibly the course of history itself...

* * *

Notes

Well, there you have it. My first chapter of the new and improved Chaos Reigns: RNH. The next one will be up soon, and the chapters should begin to get pretty long afterwards.

Hope you like this remixed story; I decided to give it a darker tone than I went with before. Looking at some of the events that I had my OC go through, I felt that the plotline deserved a bit of darkness during its advancement.

Please give me your thoughts and comments in reviews and PM's, please! I truly appreciate any constructive input you have to offer.

Until next time, this is KnightMan1890, signing off! See ya later!


	2. Resolve

Hey there. VaLente is back with the second installment of the newly-redone Chaos Reigns: Rise of a New Hero(or RNH, for short). Last time, we saw this saga's first major enemy make its debut in the now devastated Lou Sang Village.

However, those bandits found a severe roadblock in the form of a young boy who appears to exhibit some strange, yet malevolent and powerful latent ability. Who is this child, and what will his mark be in this world of chaos?

Find out now...

Warnings and disclaimers are explained in the first chapter.

Text Key:

"speech"

_'thought' _

"**enraged or spiritually empowered speech"**

*sound effect*

***loud sound effect***

(author comments)

-{[scene heading and info]}-

_flashbacks & emphasized wording_

_**narration**_

* * *

(Last time, on Chaos Reigns...)

"**...THEN I'LL GIVE YOU ONE!" **the boy bellowed, murderous intent flooding his voice as he charged at the unprepared rogues.

In the wake of the devastated Lou Sang Village, none would hear the agonized, terrified bandits' screams echo across the landscape…none but three individuals, who would never believe what was happening until they came upon the scene's aftermath...

...a discovery that would forever change their lives and quite possibly, the very course of history itself...

(And now...)

* * *

_**A lone village utterly annihilated...**_

_**Innocent people massacred by those with no reason nor remorse...**_

_**Such is the fate of those who live in times like these.**_

_**However...**_

_**Who is this young boy whose power allows him to attack and slaughter a roving band of rogues with ease and without mercy? Did he or the other two men survive their potentially deadly encounters?**_

_**Three special individuals shall learn the answers to these inquiries...and much, much more...**_

* * *

-{[Guang Zong; Han main camp]}-

The leader of the volunteer forces, Liu Bei, could only watch in silence and remembrance as he stared at the currently sleeping young boy whom he had found unconscious just outside a burning village not long ago.

His rational mind easily figured out what had happened; the child had obviously been forced to leave the village due to an assault by the Yellow Turbans. However, that didn't explain the state in which he had found the child...

* * *

-{[flashback; half an hour after the prologue's end]}-

_The scene that he and his brothers had come upon could only be described as a complete massacre._

_Blood was everywhere. Bodies were strewn about the barren field, all of them in horrifying states and some of them even lying atop rocks or hanging from tree branches! The first thought to come to Liu's mind was that some giant wild animal had assaulted the bandits. _

_However, that train of thought was decidedly cut off when he saw a part of this gruesome scene that truly tore at his heart and being..._

_A young child...a boy, it appeared, was sprawled out against the ground. His prone body was covered in blood from head to toe, and he showed no signs of life._

_'Not even the children were spared...' Bei thought as he approached the boy's body, his brothers following behind him solemnly and in silence. 'You did not deserve such a fate, young one...' he continued mentally, kneeling down and gently touching the child's forehead._

_This boy, cut down when he couldn't have been any older than nine or ten...Despite his peaceful nature, Liu Bei couldn't help but inwardly curse the Yellow Turbans and the chaos they had wrought. _

_'Young one...I swear, for you and all the other innocent people who have lost their lives to this destruction, the Yellow Turbans shall pay for their transgressions!' Bei inwardly vowed as he rose to a standing position and was about to leave, when..._

"_Uhh...Urgh..." the three brothers heard a groan emanate from the supposedly dead child. Turning to look at what seemed to be a miracle, they saw the young blood-saturated boy begin to move, albeit at a dangerously slow pace._

_Rushing to his aid, Bei carefully aided in his ascent, only stopping when the boy had finally risen into a sitting position. Liu and his brothers remained quiet as the boy groaned a bit more before settling in his state, opening a single, tired cerulean-blue eye to peer at them._

_Shocked beyond words at how this boy was still alive, the three could only watch as the boy smiled lightly, apparently deeming them to not be a threat. Even the normally boisterous Zhang Fei had no words to convey his incredulity at this mere boy surviving what was definitively a fatal encounter to this group of marauding bandits. _

"_H-Help finally...came...thank goodness..." the child spoke before falling unconscious once again, Bei caught his form and, fearing the worst, checked for breathing._

_Fortunately, he was still going, if only barely. His breathing was faint, but audible. Liu Bei, incapable of being willing to simply leave the boy to die here, cradled his form and rose again, the boy now in his arms as he began walking towards his destination, his brothers wordlessly following behind as they easily made out his intention._

* * *

-{[flashback end]}-

A certain nine-year-old boy was utterly confused when he felt himself awake within what appeared to be unknown territory. He could tell that he was in a lying-down position, but he didn't open his eyes just yet, wanting to get a good feel for his surroundings first.

The first thing he noticed was that he was warm and that the light in whatever area he was in was quite dimmed. He also sensed the telltale presence of another human being near his form.

At first, the boy was apprehensive. Had he been captured? Forcing himself to calm down as best he could, he relaxed his body and rested for a bit longer; mentally weaving his way through his memories in order to try and figure out what had happened.

The burning village...

The deaths of his parents and sister...

His lone exodus from the town...

The bandit ambush!

That was as far as his remembrance went...But, what had occurred between said ambush and here? He cleared his mind further and delved deeper in order to discover his answers.

What he found was _far _beyond anything he had expected...

* * *

-{[flashback; mental recollection]}-

(play Tenkai's theme from _Sengoku Basara 3_)

_Blood._

_Blood, blood, **blood**!_

_'What in the world happened here?!' the boy thought as he beheld the scene played out before him. The bandits, or at least, their _corpses_, looked like they had gotten run through by a roving mob of wild animals!_

_He could just _barely _keep himself from puking as he saw the rogues' bodies strewn about in the field, some of them atop rocks, hanging from tree branches; hell, there was even a disembodied head five feet away from its beheaded body!_

_All of the bodies had varying degrees of gut-wrenching wounds displayed prominently on their fallen forms; necks slashed wide open, arms and legs nearly severed from the main body, nearly enough skin sheared from their chests to allow for the organs within to be seen._

_Trying and failing to wrap his head around this massacre, the boy continually found himself asking who, or _what_, could possibly have done this?!_

_The inquiry burned into his mind, he suddenly felt a strange urge to turn around, despite a horrible feeling in his gut that told him he wouldn't like what he found. But, as does most any child, curiosity got the better of him, so he decided to look at what the feeling was directing him towards._

_What he saw would haunt him for years to come._

_A young 'person' _(the term used extremely loosely in this instance)_ was standing over a very much defeated rogue, a sword pierced into the beaten man's stomach and nailing him to the unforgiving earth below his prone form. _

_The strange, yet at the same time terrifying, factor was that, besides the decidedly evil and malevolent crimson and slitted eyes, the apparent victor looked to be a carbon copy of..._himself_, right down to the silver locks of hair. _

_'I...I-Is that ME?!' the boy inwardly thought/yelled, incredulous at this revelation. Was this really what had happened? Was _he _truly the cause of this wanton slaughter?! _

"_No...N-N-No...!" he began to mumble, scared beyond all belief and nearly in hysterics over the situation's severity. "T-This c-can't be true...T-This isn't r-real..." he continued, fear and irrationality threatening to overtake his mind. _

"_M-Make it...make it st-stop...!" he cried, tears spilling from his eyes as the scene continued to play out before him like a never-ending nightmare. "MAKE IT STOP!" he screamed to the heavens, his tortured mind finally acquiescing as the scene shattered before his vision like a pane of glass._

* * *

-{[flashback end]}-

"AAHH!" the boy suddenly screamed, jerking to a sitting position within the area he had been brought to.

That vision...that _nightmare_...it was so vivid, and all too real...he felt physically ill just thinking about it.

His young and lithe frame was saturated with sweat; tears marred his face, and his breaths came out in short, gasping pants that were frequent to the point of hyper-ventilation.

He suddenly felt two arms grasp his shoulders, and his fear quickly skyrocketed to unprecedented heights as he began to shake almost violently, lashing out at whomever had performed the action with all the strength his adrenaline-charged body could muster, his sight practically red at the flurry of emotion rushing through his form at this point.

He felt the fist he had thrown be caught and held down almost effortlessly on his 'attacker's' part, so he settled for scrambling into a standing position in a hurry. He barely registered the other person's voice address him as he jerked the arm from the person's grip and backed away as far as he could, wanting to put as much distance as could be made between the two beings.

His back hit the wall, and he stopped moving as his body finally began to settle from its fear-induced high, his slightly-deepened breathing beginning to still and his sight starting to settle until he could see the other person clearly.

The human here with him was obviously male, but he had a particularly young face with no facial hair to be seen. His armor was mainly green with a regal golden design inscribed along the top half. His outfit was segmented at the jointed areas, particularly at the waist with a white sash and the neck with a white wrap-around that fused into a flowing cape behind his form. His gold shoulder pads appeared to have the face of an animal of sorts emblazoned upon them, and atop his arms rested emerald-green gauntlets that ended just before his fingers. His helmet appeared to hold together his slicked-back hairstyle, said hair having two bangs which flowed to just below his shoulders.

The man was obviously a fair bit surprised, rightfully so, considering the boy's outburst just a minute ago, but the shock only showed in his eyes, as the rest of his visage was that of a calm and peaceful serenity, one that helped the child to cool down from his physical tirade with a few more deep breaths and a light sigh as his body's adrenaline-charged state finally wore off.

(play "Hide Emotion" from _Dynasty Warriors 7_)

The person here didn't seem to be a threat, and he definitely didn't appear to be a bandit, so the boy relaxed his guard ever so slightly, in order to let the man know he wasn't perceived as a threat anymore. Said man apparently caught on to this, as he began to speak in a calm, non-combative tone.

"It is okay, young one; I mean you no harm. I'm glad to see that you have finally awakened." he began, a comforting smile on his face to show that he didn't want any trouble. The boy only nodded in affirmation, not quite trusting his voice just yet.

"Oh, you're bleeding!" the man suddenly exclaimed after a brief moment of silence, surprising the child.

"I am?" the boy spoke, the first instance of him speaking since this encounter began. Looking over at his right arm, he did notice a bit of red staining a set of white bandages that had apparently been wrapped there some time ago. The man nodded to the boy's question as he went to a side of the tent and moved towards the child with another roll of bandages in his hand, obviously intending to re-wrap the wound.

The boy stiffened a bit at the man's approach, still not quite up to fully trusting him just yet. The man visibly flinched at the boy's subconscious reaction, but understood the child's position and waited patiently. Seeing this, the boy's slightly reignited fears wavered as he relaxed, holding out his arm so that the man could do what he planned.

As he was re-wrapping the bleeding area, the man took a scant second to scan the boy's looks now that he wasn't half-dead. He noticed with a fair bit of surprise the child's exotic looks and slight muscle build. Cerulean-blue eyes and silver hair were quite uncommon, not to mention a child who couldn't be any older than nine or ten having almost no baby fat on his body whatsoever.

_'Perhaps he is native to a foreign land...?' _the man idly wondered as the bandaging was finished. "There we are. Are you feeling okay?" the man asked, a disarming smile upon his visage.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine, sir." the boy answered, wanting to be polite to the one whom had apparently rescued him from his situation. The man chuckled a bit before responding.

"Please, call me Liu Bei. May I inquire as to what your name is?" the newly introduced Liu Bei asked.

At first, the boy was skeptical in revealing his name, but as he sensed no hint of malice in the man's face or speech and seeing it as common courtesy as the man had given his name first, decided that there would be no harm done in doing so.

"My name is Ren Jiang, Lord Liu Bei." the boy answered. Bei nodded in confirmation and committed the name to memory...something told him that this boy was more than he seemed.

"Well, Ren Jiang, I am sorry to say, but your home was destroyed in the attack. I believe that there are only a couple of people who survived besides you." Bei relayed in a serious tone, an equal look upon his face.

Ren only nodded solemnly at this information, having experienced the devastation firsthand. Although tears threatened to fall from his eyes once again at the lingering thought, he steeled his will and kept them down.

"Do not worry. Those rogues shall pay for their atrocities in full. I can assure you of that." Bei said, seeing the boy almost visibly veil his emotions and wanting to reassure him.

"Thank you, Lord Liu Bei...If I may ask, do you know who those bandits were?" Ren asked, legitimately wanting to know if there was more to the attack than meets the eye.

Liu Bei was at first unsure of Ren's intention behind the inquiry, duly hoping that the boy wouldn't attempt a shot at revenge. _'Not that he would need to...' _Bei thought, recalling the horrifying states of death the rogues were in. However, the people's man knew that the boy was naturally curious, and considering the place he had brought the child to, it would be beneficial for him to know.

"Those men were a part of the group known as the Yellow Turbans." Bei began, Ren taking note of the beginning to a potentially long story and sitting down in order to get comfortable.

"The Yellow Turban army consists of a large militia made up mostly of misguided people who are attempting to seize control of the land under the reign of their self-proclaimed Great Teacher, Zhang Jiao." Bei continued, Ren nodding as he recalled one of the bandits yelling something about the 'Great Teacher' during the raid.

"However, in recent times, the Yellow Turbans have absorbed a large quantity of common bandits and rogues recently, such as the ones who attacked your home village. But, these men pillage from the people, stealing their possessions and ravaging their homes, while this so-called 'Teacher' of theirs does nothing at all to stop them!" Bei began to yell, his voice rising as his rarely-seen anger began to breach the surface, however his tirade was soundly halted when he saw Ren wince a bit, most likely due to his repressed memories hitting him again.

"So, if these guys are such a major problem, is anyone planning on trying to stop them?" Ren asked, wanting to know if anything had been done to counter this apparently serious issue.

"Indeed. The Han Imperial Court has raised a call for volunteers across the land to join them in order to form a coalition against the Yellow Turbans. The army has been created, and we are now currently within its main base." Bei enumerated, Ren nodding again as his relatively advanced mind took in and absorbed the information.

As the info sunk in, two other individuals entered the tent where the man and boy were at. Ren quickly rose to a standing position, tensing when he noticed that they were armed and in full gear, but his apprehension eased slightly when he sensed that these new arrivals meant to harm to either himself or Liu Bei.

The first one, on the left, was tall; extremely so to the child, wearing a majestic-looking armor with a double-sided sash at the waist and dark brown pants and shoes underneath. The armor's color was predominantly green, and the underlying layer of cloth was long sleeved on left, but sleeveless on the right, that side having only an armband. What struck the boy most about this man's appearance in particular was the long, flowing beard trailing from the man's chin all the way to his mid-torso. His weapon was a long crescent-shaped blade with what appeared to be a golden dragon wrapped around it, a emerald and silver-edged blade protruding from the dragon's 'mouth'.

The second man, on the right, wasn't as tall as the first, but he definitely was a head or so above Liu Bei, despite the fact that the two looked to be about the same age, if this new individual wasn't younger even. This man was a bit burlier than the other, his armor a distinctly darker shade of green than Liu Bei or the other man, but there was a basic similarity in that the armor was segmented at the waist and joints. This man also had a headband rather than a helmet, allowing his somewhat scraggly hair to be seen. Despite it being unkempt, however, it surprisingly complimented his five 'o clock shadow rather well. This man's weapon was a doubled pike, a separate blade on each end; the blades themselves were silver with a shade of black and crimson melded into their winding and curved forms. Ren idly thought of a ready and primed cobra when he peered at them.

Liu Bei smiled at these new arrivals and rose into a standing position in order to greet them. "You've arrived; good. Ren Jiang, I would like you to meet my sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei." Bei introduced, indicating the person on the left then the right respectively.

The two brothers offered a curt nod to the boy, who responded with one of his own, each member of the three having their own thoughts on the matter.

* * *

-{[mental thoughts]}-

(Guan Yu)

_'This boy's eyes seem...tired...and aged well beyond his years. I sense a great hidden potential hidden within him, but also something evil and malevolent...he shall be one to watch for in the future.'_

(Zhang Fei)

_'Just how in the world did this kid survive all that craziness back at the village? He doesn't look all that tough...but I can tell that there is something off about him. I just wonder if he can hold his own in a fight...?' _

(Ren Jiang)

_'These guys are pretty intimidating...'_ he first thought, repressing a bit of a shiver at their powerful presence. _'But, if Lord Liu Bei trusts them, then I can too. Maybe they can help me to get stronger.' _he continued mentally. Ren could practically feel the strength radiating from these men, and seeing as most of his family was now permanently incapacitated, then perhaps these two could train him, with Liu Bei's blessing, of course.

* * *

-{[normal conversation]}-

Guan Yu, ending his inward contemplation, turned to address Liu Bei. "Brother, we have fallen behind the Imperial Army considerably. The advance force has already begun to march; we must head out and catch up." he said, relaying the current situation.

"What's the big hurry?" Fei asked in response, causing all eyes to turn to him. "It's not like they care anyways. We're just volunteer soldiers. They probably aren't even missing us." he remarked, his disdain for the 'oh-so-great' Han Imperial army clear as day.

"No, Guan Yu is right. Despite our personal feelings, we have a duty to the Han and its army. We'll move out right away." Bei answered, although he himself had his own misgivings on the matter.

Guan Yu nodded and left the tent, planning to gather the men for the march. "Aw, you're too serious, Brother!" Fei started, scoffing a bit in amusement. "Oh, well...at least I'll get to go out and have some fun!" he said before leaving as well, most likely following Guan.

Liu Bei chuckled a bit at Fei's demeanor before turning his attention to Ren, who currently held an impassive yet thoughtful visage. "I'm afraid that with matters the way they are, I do not have the time to find you another home, Ren Jiang. I ask that you please stay here and be safe." Bei implored, Ren relenting with a silent nod as the older man left the tent.

Ren laid back down on the makeshift bed that was made out for him, thinking on what Liu Bei had told him. _'The Yellow Turbans, huh?' _he thought, merely looking upwards as sleep had yet to claim him just yet. _'Those guys...they wrecked my home and killed my family...'_ he continued, his inner ramblings beginning to take on a decidedly dark shift. _'Somehow...I'll make sure they pay for that.' _he finalized, his innate anger taking hold as he drifted off to rest, a hidden resolve forming within his mind...

* * *

-{[3 hours later]}-

Ren Jiang awoke with a bit of a start, momentarily confused until the memories of the previous encounter returned to him. Seeing the light passing through the tent flap, he knew that the sun was still high in the sky. Rousing himself from his resting position, he slipped on his shoes and left the tent.

Liu Bei was telling the truth, at least...the whole of the main Imperial force appeared to be here; the ones who donned purple armor anyways. _'Lord Liu Bei and his brothers must've headed off to fight.' _Ren thought, seeing no sign of the three being there. His contemplation was cut off when he was approached by one of the Han guards.

Ren tensed, but kept his face impassive while hiding the small glare he wanted to give the relatively older male. While it didn't seem the man was planning to hurt him, it also didn't look like he was going for anything particularly pleasant, either.

"You may have been brought here by the leader of our volunteer army, boy, but don't expect any kind of formality from us. Start any trouble, and we'll throw you out and let the Yellow Turbans finish what they started with that backwater village of yours." the guard said, smirking darkly at Ren's shocked and somewhat fearful expression.

Ren's visage dropped back to a normal impassiveness after the soldier returned to his position, although the boy's eyes narrowed when he saw that the man was sharing in a laugh with several others, most likely over his intimidation of a young child. _'Arrogant jerk...' _Ren thought with an ever so slight hint of malice.

While Ren was 'innocent', he wasn't idiotic in the least. If the guard's actions were anything to go by, the boy knew that his presence was not exactly welcomed within the Imperial camp, regardless of his situation. He was fairly certain that the man would go through with the threat if the soldiers were pushed far enough.

_'Sorry, Lord Liu Bei, but I can't stay here...' _Ren thought. If his presence could potentially cause trouble, then he'd rather leave than cause anything bad to happen and force Liu Bei to deal with the repercussions.

With these thoughts in mind, Ren was going to turn back into the tent, when...

"Ren! You're alive!" a shockingly familiar voice suddenly called out to him. Whirling, his eyes widened in pleasant surprise and his mouth curled into a megawatt smile as he saw who it was.

"Uncle!" the boy yelled as he ran over to the older gentleman, giving the man a tight hug.

"Oof!" the man grunted out as his nephew's impact forced him to the ground in a sitting position.

Ren's uncle was a young individual, looking to be in his late teen years with a lean, lithe physique and a more tanned skin color as compared to Ren's somewhat pale tone. His outfit had changed greatly since his previous encounter with the bandits; he now wore a predominantly black outfit which consisted of a black sleeveless vest, dark crimson undershirt, dark fingerless gloves, red waistline sash, black pants and combat shoes. His hair was of a stark black color that matched his clothing, and it was styled into a ponytail, the rest of it framing his handsome face and just reaching his neck.

A major part of his appearance was that the glove on his right arm extended into an identically-colored gauntlet which had crimson-red insignia that resembled bolts of lightning; however, his most distinguishing factor was his eyes. Apparently having the heterochromia condition, his left eye was an amber brown, but his right one was surprisingly a darkened shade of purple.

Anyways, the man recovered quickly from Ren's tackle and held the now-crying boy with just as much force as he was using. "I can't believe it; you actually escaped that nightmare..." the man said, an anguished look upon his own face.

"U-Uncle Jin...*sniffs* Mom and Dad, they...they're...!" Ren tried to speak, but his voice cracked as his tears continued to fall.

"I know, kid...we're the only ones left..." Jin responded, his teeth gritting in anger at the memories of the ravaged village came to him.

"B-But, Uncle, didn't someone go hunting with you?" Ren asked, the stutter in his voice still apparent.

"Yeah...but we were ambushed on our way back, and we had dropped our weapons somewhere in our haste to find help. Those Han bastards completely disregarded us, left us to die back there...my partner sacrificed himself for me in the assault, and I barely managed to escape myself..." Jin enumerated as he passed into a short period of remembrance.

* * *

-{[flashback; just after 1st scene in last chapter]}-

(play "Isolation" from _Dynasty Warriors 7_)

_'Damn it! What a time to not have any weaponry...' Jin thought as his friend fell to the dirt, definitively dead from the initial attack._

_Jin quickly rose to a standing position, having been pushed to the ground by his now-deceased partner. The two attackers, seeing that their job was not yet finished, charged at the lone man, ready to end his life as well._

_Unfortunately for them, Jin Zang was too resourceful to fall so easily..._

_The young adult rolled away from their sloppy attack and grabbed one of the man's weapons, a spear, and used his superior strength to force the weapon upwards, the spear's blunt side slamming the bandit in the face and dazing him for a moment. Jin jerked the spear from the man's slackened grip and slashed him with it across the chest, the blow's force knocking the rogue to the ground, unconscious. _

_Seeing his cohort down, the other rogue charged yet again, holding his sword above him for an overhead smash. Completely ready for the attack, Jin sidestepped it and nailed the man with a baseball swing, sending the bandit flying and crashing into the unforgiving earth with an audible *thud*._

_Looking back towards the village, Jin saw smoke rising from its epicenter. Fearing the worst, he headed back as fast as his legs could carry him..._

(end song)

* * *

-{[flashback end]}-

"After that, I started back towards the village, only to get ambushed by a bunch of those guys not long after. If those three men hadn't shown up..." Jin trailed off, leaving the implications hanging.

"I didn't know you were a fighter, Uncle. Who rescued you?" Ren asked, his rising emotion and tears finally dissipating.

"Well, with a little prodigy like you, I didn't wanna get left behind, kid, so I took up training a couple years back." Jin started, ruffling Ren's hair affectionately. "Anyway, the ones who helped me out were these three men who left a few hours ago. They were the leaders of the volunteer soldiers; the main one was named Liu Bei, I think." Jin answered, his nephew perking up at the mention of Liu.

"Lord Liu Bei and his brothers? I know them! They're the ones who saved me from those Yellow Turban guys!" Ren responded, wanting to find Liu Bei and thank him profusely once again.

"Really now...? I assume that 'Yellow Turban' refers to the bandits right?" Jin asked, chuckling a bit when Ren nodded. "Well then, I guess I'll have to thank them for that, too." the young man finalized, the two rising to a standing position.

"So, what do you wanna do now, Ren?" Jin asked.

"I...I want to leave here." Ren answered immediately and without doubt, surprising his uncle.

"What?! Why's that?" Jin inquired, incredulous at the nine-year-old wishing to leave the relative safety of the main camp.

"It's these Imperial soldiers...I'm getting a bad feeling from them. Plus, it's obvious that they're not really looking out for our safety." Ren answered.

Jin nodded grimly, remembering how he and his friend had been abandoned in the wake of the Yellow Turbans' assault. "True...although, we'll be seriously rising our necks if we go out there...I'd love to get some payback on those punks, too, but are you honestly sure you're up for this?" Jin asked, taking a moment to peer at Ren's bandaged right arm.

"Don't worry about me so much, Uncle. Both of us together can handle it, at least until we get some help, right?" Ren asked, smiling at the young man despite the serious situation this course of action presented before them.

"Yeah...you're right, kid. Me and you 'll be more than enough just for a little while, okay? And don't you tell me not to worry; I can't help it, seeing as you're all I've got left. We stick together out there, understand?" Jin said, smirking at Ren's nod.

"Good. Now then, let's go find some weapons for ourselves." Jin ordered, the two heading towards what was hopefully an armory.

* * *

-{[timeskip]}-

The two came out of the weapons depot armed and ready for battle.

Ren now carried a short sword sheathed in its encasing and strapped to the left side of his waist, along with a bow and an arrow-stocked quiver attached to his back. Jin shouldered a long spear that had a golden blunt end and a sky-blue trunk, the weapon firmly held in his grip by his right arm.

"You ready, kid?" Jin asked, prepared to set off. Ren only nodded solemnly, the weight of their undertaking starting to fully occur to him. "Hey, don't worry, okay? I'll be with ya every step of the way, Ren." Jin said with a comforting smile, seeing his nephew's anxiety.

"Alright, Uncle." Ren responded, a light smile on his own face at his uncle's reassuring words.

"Well then, let's go." Jin finalized as the two began to leave. The older man noticed that the Imperial army didn't even make an attempt to try and stop them from going. _'Most likely, they don't even care at all...And why the hell would they leave the gates to their own main camp wide open like this?!' _Jin mentally questioned as the two passed the threshold, shaking his head at the Han's blatant audacity and hubris.

One of the less malicious Han soldiers quickly noticed their departure, swiftly informing the Grand Commander of the army. "Lord He Jin, it appears that the peasant refugees whom Master Liu Bei brought in are departing the camp. Shouldn't we go stop them?" the guard asked, He Jin scoffing at the notion.

"Hmph, if they want to go out there and get themselves killed, then let them. That'll be two less nuisances we'll have to deal with." He Jin answered. The guard, while shocked at the man's callousness, relented with a tentative nod.

If only Ren Jiang and Jin Zang knew what exactly they were getting themselves into...

* * *

Notes

And there you have it. I duly hope that you enjoyed this chapter.

Looking at my previous version of this story, I noticed that Jin Zang wasn't very involved within much of anything after this point in the storyline, and that after the Yellow Turban Rebellion officially began, I didn't even mention him again until the Dong Zhuo saga got underway. Well, not this time; Jin will be much more prevalent within Ren's fights, especially at this point as Ren is still a nine-year-old kid.

I'll say this now before I forget...my updates will be somewhat random. I don't really have a set pattern for typing out stories, as I generally just use whatever free time I have from school, homework, etc. I'll keep working on this story and get some serious time in on it before turning back to my _Sengoku Basara _story for a while...I might be revising that one, too.

Anyways, here are the ages for the major characters who have appeared in the story thus far, according to the _Dynasty Warriors _in-game encyclopedia, the _Romance of the Three Kingdoms _series, the Internet, and me.

Ren Jiang: 9  
Jin Zang: 18  
Liu Bei: 23  
Guan Yu: 22  
Zhang Fei: 16

There you have it. What adversities will Ren Jiang and Jin Zang face? Will the Yellow Turbans prove too much for them? Find out all this and more...next time, on Chaos Reigns!

This is VaLente Spada, signing off! See ya later!


	3. The First Step

And hello once again, my readers! Welcome back to Chaos Reigns: RNH Redux. Last time, the initial assault of the newly-revealed Yellow Turbans had finally ended, with the Imperial army gathered and prepared to end this threat to the land's peace.

And now, with Ren Jiang and Jin Zang loaded and ready, the Yellow Turban Rebellion is finally set to begin! Time for some action!

Warnings and disclaimers are explained in the first chapter.

Text Key:

"speech"

_'thought' _

"**enraged or spiritually empowered speech"**

*sound effect*

***loud sound effect***

(author comments)

-{[scene heading and info]}-

_flashbacks & emphasized wording_

_**narration**_

* * *

(Last time, on Chaos Reigns...)

"Well then, let's go." Jin finalized as the two began to leave. The older man noticed that the Imperial army didn't even make an attempt to try and stop them from going. _'Most likely, they don't even care at __all...And why the hell would they leave the gates to their own main camp wide open like this?!' _Jin mentally questioned as the two passed the threshold, shaking his head at the Han's blatant audacity and hubris.

One of the less malicious Han soldiers quickly noticed their departure, swiftly informing the Grand Commander of the army. "Lord He Jin, it appears that the peasant refugees whom Master Liu Bei brought in are departing the camp. Shouldn't we go stop them?" the guard asked, He Jin scoffing at the notion.

"Hmph, if they want to go out there and get themselves killed, then let them. That'll be two less nuisances we'll have to deal with." He Jin answered. The guard, while shocked at the man's callousness, relented with a tentative nod.

If only Ren Jiang and Jin Zang knew what exactly they were getting themselves into...

(And now...)

* * *

_**A world at war...**_

_**The chaos brought on by one zealous man's desires threatens to consume the land, leaving nothing but devastation and death in its wake.**_

_**However, two common people have now taken up arms, in hopes that they can make a difference within this newly war-torn country.**_

_**Will their combined effort prove to be the light that illuminates this time of darkness?**_

* * *

-{[Guang Zong; battlefield]}-

(play "Ignition" from _Dynasty Warriors 6_)

The battle had finally begun...almost immediately did bodies begin to drop on both sides of the war.

The main Imperial forces initially found themselves hard-pressed to gain ground against the Yellow Turbans, but that quickly changed when Liu Bei and his volunteer soldiers joined the fray, linking with the Han generals and generating a powerful combined push.

However, Liu Bei found himself distracted and even a fair bit remorseful, as evidenced by a forlorn sigh emanating from him just after he slashed a Turban across the chest.

"What is it, Brother?" Guan Yu asked, blocking a strike and batting the offending enemy away with a wide swing.

"These people..." Liu began, standing almost completely still despite the skirmish still raging around them. "...Before, they were suffering just like everyone else...It hurts me inside to have to cut them down like this..." he continued, revolving into a quick spin with his twin swords, taking out a few enemies who were closing in on him.

"Well, in that case..." Zhang Fei started, grabbing a Turban by the head and tossing him into several others. "...You'll just have to create a world where the people don't suffer!" he finalized, jabbing his pike backwards and nailing an enemy who had tried to sneak up behind him.

"Indeed. Zhang Fei is correct, Brother. If the chaos will not abate, then we shall end it by our own hand!" Guan responded, using a hard slash to take out five enemies who were charging him from the front.

"Yes...you are right, my brothers!" Liu answered, his fighting spirit rising. "Let us fight, and restore order to this land!" he declared, the three sworn brothers charging towards a new wave of Turbans.

_'Ren Jiang...you will be safe, right? But...why do I feel so uneasy...?' _Liu idly thought as the fight continued.

* * *

-{[meanwhile, with Ren & Jin]}-

The two peasants decided to travel along the far western pathway, hoping to avoid the main battle for the time being.

They nonetheless ran into several troops of enemies along the way, but through the utilization of some ingenuity(mainly involving Ren's bow) along with some quick thinking and reflexes, they didn't have much of a problem advancing forward.

However, Jin had one major concern on his mind as the two hit a lull in their part of the fighting.

It was on the matter of Ren's mental state...While the silver-haired child didn't seem to be overly affected by his first taste of a true battle, Jin knew him far too well to be fooled by an emotional mask.

"Hey, Ren...what's wrong? You may try to hide it, but I know that you're distraught over something." Jin said, Ren flinching a bit as he actually had been trying to hide his emotional discomfort.

"It's just...all this is happening so suddenly...Only a day ago, we were living in peace, happily going about our lives in the village...I know I've always said that I wanted to become a part of the army someday, but I didn't want it to happen like this..." Ren enumerated, holding back tears as his uncle brought him into a quick embrace.

"Don't worry yourself so much about it, Ren...We'll help take down these Yellow Turban punks and it'll all be over. We'll find another home, and we'll train up to join the army, so something like this'll never happen again, alright?" Jin responded, the boy nodding in acquiescence.

Despite his uncle's optimism, however, Ren couldn't help but feel uneasy. _'The future isn't set in stone, Uncle...Who knows what'll happen even _if _the Yellow Turbans are wiped out...?' _he inwardly thought, as the two set off once again.

After a few more minutes of travel, the two came upon a mountainous formation along a long pathway that rose upwards in a slope. Hearing the telltale sounds of a marching army, they ducked behind a part of the rocky area and waited to see who was approaching.

The troop was large, greater in size than even the main Imperial force the two had seen back at the main camp. Luckily for them, this force didn't seem to be a part of the enemy side, as the armor of the soldiers here was predominately blue in color, as opposed to the aptly named 'Yellow' Turbans. Of the massive army, the three at its head stood out the most. These men were obviously the leaders as their armor was the most unique.

The one in the middle, apparently the commander of the army, was a older man who wore a predominately navy-blue armor with golden imprints throughout. His outfit also included long sleeves with bracers covering his forearms and wrists, along with identically-colored pants and shoes trailing below the plating along his torso and abdomen. The man himself sported a center-parted mustache and small goatee, and his appearance was completed by the long cape flowing behind him and large golden sword in his right hand as he rode on a stark black horse with golden plating along its head and legs.

The man on his left was more burly, wearing a similar style of armor, albeit in a lighter shade of blue. His outfit included a silver metal bracer on his left forearm and a long black scarf hanging around his neck. He also had a similar pattern of facial hair as his normal hair was tied into a small ponytail that was held together by a silver metal headband on his forehead. He carried a bow in hand as he rode, a fully-stocked quiver holstered to his back.

The armor of the person on the right nearly matched that of the other two in color, but his shade of clothing was a darker blue than that of the others. His somewhat spiky hair reached his neck, and his facial hair involved a similarly-parted mustache which circled around his mouth into a small beard. He also carried a large silver sword in hand.

As the force continued its march, Ren and Jin could feel the confidence rolling from them in waves.

_'These guys definitely mean business...Glad they're on our side.' _Jin thought as he stared at the army from his hiding spot. Ren didn't outwardly comment on them, but he was happy that Liu Bei and his brothers had aid besides the prideful Imperial army against the Yellow Turbans.

However, any and all pleasant feelings drained from the two as a disembodied voice suddenly rang out for all in the pathway to hear.

"**There is no way through here, you fools! The creatures of the Han shall all be crushed to death!"** the voice echoed, confusing all of the listeners other than the three leading men.

"Uncle, did you hear that?" Ren asked, lightly shaken.

"Yeah, and it sounded like it came from...atop the mountain." Jin answered, a serious look on his face as the two peered upwards.

* * *

-{[mountaintop]}-

A large wooden structure was atop the cliff, appearing to be an altar of sorts. A single man was standing there, his arms waving in a strange motion as he chanted.

"Heavens, grant me a miracle! Lend us your strength as we fight in your name! Do away with these infidels!" he spoke, a wild aura of energy emerging around his from as his incantation was completed.

* * *

-{[mountain base]}-

Hearing the voice, the three leaders halted their army as they began conversing on how to approach the situation.

"Well, Cousin, it looks like they know we're coming. Any ideas?" the man on the left, the burliest one, asked.

"Lord Cao Cao, we should keep going. The enemy is comprised of mere commoners. Whatever plan they may have won't be a match for us." the man on the right responded.

"Perhaps you are right, but even commoners can be driven to drastic acts when backed into a corner." the one in the middle, Cao Cao, said.

_'Ain't that the truth...' _Ren and Jin simultaneously thought, thinking back to the events which had led them here.

"Regardless, we must move onward. Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, continue the advance. Just be cautious." Cao Cao continued, addressing the man on the right then left respectively.

As the army began to resume its march, a strange rumbling noise suddenly began to make itself known to the ears of those present as the earth began to shake. Stopping once again in momentary disorientation, one of the soldiers had just enough time to yell and point ahead of him towards the path ahead...

...before he was crushed by a giant boulder! It was a rockslide attack!

(play "Yellow Storm" from _Dynasty Warriors 3_)

Unable to escape the path in time, Cao Cao's force was quickly put into disarray by the barrage of boulders careening towards them. The three leaders were forcing their steeds to dodge to the best of their abilities, but even they were hard-pressed to resist the onslaught. As for the other troops; any who were unfortunate enough to be caught by the giant rocks were utterly crushed.

"Uncle? What're we gonna do about this?" Ren asked, racking his brain for anything that may help the situation.

"Well, we need to get rid of the ones dropping the rocks for one thing." Jin answered, thinking on just _how _the two would manage such a thing.

"But how will we get up there? It's not like we can get past the rocks ourselves." Ren said, having to speak a bit loudly over the cacophony of rolling and crashing boulders.

"You're right about that, so going straightforward is definitely not an option. And going around might take too long; these guys won't last forever. All I can think of...is climbing up the mountainside itself." Jin enumerated.

"Then that's what we'll have to do!" Ren resolved, immediately standing up and placing a hand on the mountain face near them.

"Hey now, don't be so hasty, kid...you sure you're up for this?" Jin asked, noting Ren's still-bandaged arm.

"I have to be. We've already come this far, Uncle...don't tell me you're thinking of quitting now?" the white-haired boy answered, a smirk playing across his face.

"Not a chance. You'll have to try a lot harder than that to get rid of me, Ren." Jin responded, a similar smirk on his own face as the two began their climb.

* * *

-{[mountaintop; several minutes later]}-

They must've been nearing insanity to try it. However, as a wise man once said; "desperation breeds determination."

The resolution of Ren and Jin powered their action, and despite having a couple of close calls(including Ren's arm wound nearly opening again), they managed to reach the top of the mountain with little harm done.

Now, there was a new situation which the duo currently faced.

There were several soldiers around, although relatively few and not too much worry, but the real issue still involved the rocks. The two took a scant second to stand dumbstruck at how they weren't rolling down from the mountain or being pushed by the attackers, no...

...they were literally appearing and dropping from the sky!

Barely registering the call of "intruders" from one of the Turbans, the two readied their weapons as they turned to see the contingent of enemies rushing towards them.

However, Jin struck first, deftly thrusting his spear forward and impaling one of the soldiers mid-charge. He yanked the weapon out and waited for the next assault as the other enemies surrounded them.

One soldier got impatient and attacked, but he was stopped by Ren, who kicked out the man's legs and stabbed him through the stomach with his sword.

This prompted the other ten or so enemies to charge, one half going for each of their opponents.

Ren ducked under a horizontal club swing, repeating his stab attack against the man's neck. Another went for an overhead smash with his club, but the boy rolled away from the blow and slashed once, twice, three times against each of the man's arms and then across his chest. Ren proceeded to sweep out his legs from under him, making him crash to the ground in a heap.

Jin was initially on the defensive, blocking a straightforward blow from two of his enemies with his spear. As the three clashed, the two Turbans exerted more and more force, hoping to break Jin's guard. However, Jin had a nearly unnoticeable smirk on his visage as shifted his body to the left and turned his spear along with him, making the two others stagger due to the sudden loss of resistance. Jin took the opportunity to bash both enemies in the back of their necks with his spear, knocking them unconscious.

Ren and Jin now found themselves side-by-side against the remaining six enemies. "Ren, be ready to duck when I say so, alright?" Jin whispered to his nephew.

"You sure, Uncle?" he answered back in a hush.

"Trust me. I have a hunch about this one." Jin responded.

As the older male expected, the enemies surged forth blindly without even thinking about a potential retaliation. Priming himself, Jin held his spear in a ready position behind him, waiting for just the right moment. He saw his chance. "Now!" he called out to Ren, who swiftly ducked.

Launching his attack, Jin violently lashed out against the advancing enemies, swinging his spear in a wide slash as he spun twice and ended up in his initial position. The first hit staggered the enemies, the next one sent them crashing into the dirt. None of them got back up.

"Hah. That was easy enough." Jin said as Ren rose back to his normal position.

"Uncle, over there!" the boy called out as he peered at the wooden structure in the distance.

"Right. Let's check it out, Ren." Jin responded, his nephew nodding as the two headed over towards it.

* * *

-{[timeskip]}-

_'That looks to be an altar...So, there _is_ sorcery afoot here.' _Jin thought, the two nearing the structure's summit.

Reaching the altar's peak, they came upon a man who, appearing to sense the foreign presence, halted what looked to be an incantation and turned to face them.

(play "Final Disturbance" from _DBZ Ultimate Tenkaichi_)

"Hmm? Who dares defile this sacred altar?!" the man yelled, drawing a sword from his waist and pointing it towards the intruders.

"Are you the sorcerer who has created those rocks falling down the mountain path?" Jin asked, although knowing the answer.

"Indeed. I am Zhang Liang, the General of the People and brother to the Great Teacher! Who are you that stands against the Yellow Turbans?" the man responded, noting immediately that the two in front of him were armed and could be potential enemies.

"No need to trouble yourself with our identities. You should be more worried about yourself, 'cause you're gonna get taken down right here and now!" Jin declared as he surged forth, Ren wordlessly following close after him.

"Fools! You think to defeat me so easily?!" Liang spoke, holding out his sword towards them as an astonishing phenomenon occurred...

A small blue orb of light appeared at the tip of Liang's blade, slightly expanding in size until...a bolt of lightning spontaneously emerged from it, shooting forth towards Ren and Jin!

The two barely had enough time to avoid the sudden attack, flipping to opposite sides as the bolt passed between their bodies and missed them by _inches_.

Recovering quickly from the impromptu halt on their assault, the two could only stare in shock at the blackened trail that the bolt left in its wake for a bit before turning back towards Zhang Liang. "Wha-what...was that?!" Ren asked, his eyes still wide in surprise.

"That was only a mere taste of my power, boy! Do you both now see the futility in fighting the Yellow Turbans?" Liang boasted, smirking at their stunned looks.

He didn't notice Jin's visage shift into an impassive contemplation. _'So, this guy has more than one trick up his sleeve...this fight might take longer than I thought.' _Jin thought as he and Ren rose to a ready stance, planning to advance more cautiously this time around.

"Stay on your toes, kid. No matter what kind of power he has, he's still outnumbered 2-to-1. We can beat him." Jin declared, resolved to win.

"Right!" Ren responded, himself ready to defeat this menace.

"Your numbers make no difference; your pitiful power quails against the force of the very Heavens themselves! Now suffer a divine wrath!" he shouted, as he fired a dual set of lightning bolts, one going for each of his opponents.

The two commoners sidestepped the attack, racing towards Liang once again. Ren was the first to reach him, slashing his sword in a diagonal arc and forcing Liang to relinquish his magical attack in order to block.

Seeing what looked to be an opportunity, Jin attacked next, attempting to cleave Liang in half with a vertical overhead slash with his spear. Unexpectedly, however, Liang released one of his hands from the grip of his sword and fired another lightning shot from the now-freed limb, striking Jin dead-center in his chest!

"AGH!" Jin cried out, electricity coursing throughout his body as he fell to the ground, barely able to move as the shock temporarily addled his movement.

"Uncle! Why you...!" Ren growled out, unknowing of his eyes suddenly flashing crimson for a second in response to his anger.

Liang, on the other hand, did notice and was wary of it as the boy's force increased, actually beginning to push the larger male back. However, with a hand still free and one enemy downed for the moment, Liang smirked maliciously as he now turned his full attention to Ren.

"Do not fret, boy, for you shall be the next to fall!" he remarked, channeling another bolt through his sword and sending it into Ren's!

"AAH!" Ren cried out, forced back and falling to the ground in a heap. This time, Liang didn't let up in his attack, unleashing a continuous stream of electricity against the already-downed boy, reveling in his screams of pain as the unrelenting attack caused more and more damage.

"Urgh...R-Ren!" Jin called out, beginning to regain usage of his bodily functions. His anger spiked higher than he ever thought possible as he witnessed Liang trying to electrocute Ren to death...unbeknownst to him, the pupil of his purple right eye elongated and became slitted like a cat as he charged forth, crying out in rage at Liang attempting to take away what was left of his family.

Liang wasted no time in using yet another lightning attack, but he found that it did little to stop the older peasant's charge this time. In fact, it only seemed to increase the young man's anger as he continued forth at a _slightly _more sedate pace.

Beginning to panic, the sorcerer turned back towards the boy only to see that he had managed to stand, and was fighting against his lightning as well! "How can this be?! You cannot possibly overcome my power!" Liang yelled, subconsciously stepping backwards in response to their enraged advance.

Looking at their visages, he nearly recoiled in shock; between the glowering purple eye of the man and the narrowed crimson eyes of the boy, Liang actually found himself trembling in...fear.

_'Are...are these two heathens even human?! How in Heaven's name was the Han able to breed such monstrous beings?' _Liang thought, still shifting backwards as the two approached ever closer. "Back! S-stay back, you fiends!" he yelled, now fearing for his life as he increased his power to its maximum.

It did him little good.

Inevitably, the two empowered commoners reached Liang's form and simultaneously slashed at his arms, leaving huge gashes and forcing the electricity to dissipate. Terrified and in pain, Liang also fully released his grip on his sword, leaving himself defenseless against the impending onslaught.

Blow after blow racked his body; a cut here, a kick there, but pain _everywhere_. It seemed an eternity before the two let up in their relentless attack, Liang's battered and bloody body slumping to the ground.

"I-in...Inconceivable...to be defeated...by monsters like this...!" Liang staggered out, blood seeping from his form. He tried in vain to stretch his arms towards the heavens one last time, but he was quickly silenced by two decisive stabs to his chest.

Zhang Liang gave his last breath.

Ren and Jin slumped to the ground on their knees, their respective 'states' rescinding as a wave of exhaustion fell over them.

"We...we won...?" Ren asked, trying to catch his breath and remember just how they had managed to pull off a victory.

"Yeah...Looks that way...But how?" Jin asked, his body in a similar condition of fatigue.

"I...I can't remember...After he got me with that...lightning attack, it's all...a blur." Ren answered, his breathing starting to even out.

"Same here...maybe all that lightning...messed with our heads or something." Jin responded, shaking his head a bit as he stood up, the electricity forcibly routed into his body having yet to fade completely.

"I think we still have one bit of business to clear up before we leave." Jin said, leaving the altar and heading towards the edge of the mountain's summit.

Seeing the blue-wearing army below, he let out a loud whistle, hoping to catch their attention.

* * *

-{[mountain base]}-

The rockslide had stopped as suddenly and quickly as it had begun.

Despite not knowing the cause, Cao Cao and his forces were planning on taking advantage of this chance as they began to reorganize the troops.

However, they suddenly heard a loud whistle ring out across the clearing. Knowing that it could possibly be a signal for a secondary assault, they readied themselves and rose their guard while searching for the source.

Xiahou Yuan, the expert marksman that he is, was the first to discover it. Scanning the top of the mountain next to their position, he saw a young black-haired man standing there. "Hey, up there! Who's that?" Yuan asked the others, pointing upwards.

"What is it, Yuan?" Xiahou Dun asked, following the outstretched arm.

"Hey! If you want to get going, now's the time! The guys dropping the rocks are gone!" Jin yelled to them before turning and heading back to Ren, who apparently hadn't followed him.

"You think he's telling the truth?" Dun asked.

"I didn't see a speck of yellow on him. Plus, the proof is all around us." Yuan answered, indicating the lack of rolling boulders.

"Then, we must not waste the chance that has been given to us. Resume the march!" Cao Cao ordered, the army beginning to move again.

* * *

-{[altar]}-

Jin arrived back at the altar only to see that Ren hadn't moved an inch, and was still kneeling as he merely stared at the dead body of the sorcerer they had defeated.

"How...was he able to pull off all that?" Ren asked.

"I once heard a rumor a while before all this started...that things such as sorcery and magic actually did exist; that people performed incantations in order to change parts of nature, themselves, or supposedly even...summon demons and spirits." Jin explained.

"I never believed that something like that actually existed. I wrote it off as utter ridiculousness and erased it from my mind. In fact, I _never _would've believed it if I didn't see it here with my own eyes..." Jin continued, Ren staying silent throughout the tale.

"Uncle...is this...what true war is like?" Ren asked, staring at the corpse of Zhang Liang with a hint of disdain.

"Other than the sorcery, yeah...this is the real deal now, Ren. From here on out, there's no turning back." Jin answered as Ren finally got into a standing position.

"As if I'd try to run away. After all, what kind of warriors would we be...if we gave up after our first real step? All we can do from here is keep moving forward." Ren retorted, looking out towards the horizon.

"Haha...Well said, kid." Jin said, a smirk playing across his face as he affectionately ruffled Ren's hair, the two staring into the distance.

The boy was indeed correct...in that this was only the beginning.

And the next challenge for Ren Jiang and Jin Zang...may come much sooner than they think.

* * *

Notes

And lo, it is done! Finally, after over two months, I'm back!

Okay, I have been on hiatus for _way _too long, especially considering that I'm almost an entire month into my summer break. Sorry it's been so long, I've had some really bad computer issues(old one broke down, got a new one, almost lost it).

But I'm back now. My next update will be for my _Sengoku Basara _story, "Legacy of the Dai Rokuten".

Anyways, here's the character ages for this chapter. If I don't know anyone's in particular, then the number will just be marked with a "?".

Cao Cao: 29  
Xiahou Dun: ?  
Xiahou Yuan: ?

There you have it. What new battles await Ren and Jin as they fight to put down the Yellow Turban Rebellion? How does Jin Zang have a power that mirrors Ren's? What is the power to begin with?

Tune in next time, to Chaos Reigns! This is Ravien VaLente Spada, signing off! Later!


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